David Letterman made his name as a TV legend with this influential comedy/talk show series. Dave was a departure from the usual happy, pleasant host; he was sarcastic, moody, grumpy--and on a bad night, he could be all three and almost unwatchable. Generally, though, he treated guests with a refreshing irrereverence. The comedy segments often cast a jaded eye at the cliches of life and especially show business--a wink to the audience that we were all in on whatever scam was being perpetrated on us. Along that line, bandleader Paul Shaffer would banter with Dave in a faux-Rat Pack/swinger style, an exaggeration of how the typical 'hip' talk show musician acted. Recurring bits over the years included: the nighty 'Top Ten' list, often based on a topic in the news; 'Stupid Pet Tricks', when real people and their pets demonstrated, well, exactly what the title says; 'Peggy, the foul-mouthed chambermaid', who would come out and curse at Letterman (most of her dialog was bleeped); Chris Elliot as the creepy guy under the stairs; and TV cameras attached to anything that moved, most unforgettably to a chimp. Borrowing an idea from Steve Allen, Dave ocassionally performed ridiculous stunts. Among them, he had himself dunked into a giant bowl of milk; wore a suit of suet; almost passed out from fumes when, covered with Alka-Seltzer tablets, was dunked in a tank of water; and, wearing a velcro suit, jumped on a trampoline and stuck to a wall. "Late Night with David Letterman" was highly praised, winning five Emmy Awards, and a prestigious Peabody for taking, as the award said, "one of TV's most conventional and least-inventive forms, the talk show, and infusing it with freshness and imagination." NOTE: Thanks to noted Letterman expert Don "Donz5" Giller for his help in correcting and contributing to this episode guide.moreless

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Quotes (25)

David Letterman: In all those years was there ever any serious mix-ups when a little kid was roughed up on the show?
Don "Mr Wizard" Herbert: No, not really, but because of the type of show we were doing anything could happen. Only once during an experiment where we light a candle under a glass bottle with a little coil next to the wick. And one time in rehersal we got the wick wet, so when we later set it up and turned the current on it got hotter and hotter and vaporized the candle so that in the bottle we had a mixture of vaporized parafin and oxygen and it disappeared from the close up. Sssssssswit! Up into the lights. And of course I was shocked because I thought 'my gosh the bottle blew up'. Turned out I heard the bottle clang down behind me so I knew -- and the child standing next to me was covered in water, I was too. As soon as I saw she wasn't hurt I got a towel and dried her off and dried myself off. And we went on doing it.
David Letterman: Was she stunned a little bit?
Don "Mr Wizard" Herbert: She sure was. And that was the only time we ever edited the show -- we cut the laughter of the crew.
David Letterman: (Sarcasticly) Well, what crew doesn't like seeing a child vaporized?
Don "Mr Wizard" Herbert: We could hear them laughing all the way in the control room.

The show began with these words:
Larry 'Bud' Melman: Good evening. Certain NBC executives feel it
would be a little unkind to present this show without just a word of
friendly warning. We're about to unfold a show featuring David
Letterman, a man of science who sought to create a show after his own
image -- without reckoning upon God. It's one of the strangest tales
ever told. I think it will thrill you. It may shock you. It might
even horrify you. So, if any of you feel that you don't care to
subject your nerves to such a strain, now's your chance to...well,
we've warned you.

Dave: In Mexico, it's called El Knob Grande. Here in the United States, we simply call it The Giant Doorknob, and it's a panic. This over-sized novelty doorknob is much larger than it ought to be. In fact, it's just plain big. Simply attach this over an ordinary doorknob and wait for the fireworks. Your friends will flip when they see how truly big a doorknob can be.

David: (to Cheryl Tiegs, in a very nice outfit) Is that from Sears?

Frank Zappa: (describing the Thing-Fish musical) There's this Evil Prince and part-time theater critic who's found the solution to the white man's burden, which is how to get rid of all unwanted highly rhythmic individuals and sissy-boys. He goes to San Quentin to test this stuff on the inmates because they used them before, when they were working with syphilis. It doesn't kill these guys, it makes them real ugly. They wind up with a head like a potato, lips like a duck, big white gloves like Al Jolson used to wear, and these garments which they refer to as "nakkins," the first part being a nun's habit, and the lower part being Aunt Jemima's dress.

Letterman: The days are getting longer, they're getting warmer, we're getting more and more soothing sunshine. Nature is in almost full bloom, and that, of course, means there is only one more full month of professional hockey.

Danny Owens: Hey Shawn, we are from SumterDavid: Oh how cool. Do you know them?Shawn Weatherly: (as she looked up in the office as David had them stand up) Never seen them before!
(audience laughs hysterically)

Trivia (15)

This first episode was also the very first aired when reruns began on A&E in 1991.

Due to Conan O'Brian's "Late Night" not being ready by the week Dave moved to CBS, this episode and the nine episodes that followed it reran in the 12:35 EST timeslot on NBC, directly after the first ten episodes of CBS's Late Show with David Letterman.

To see a clip of the Ozzy Osbourne interview click here.

To see a clip of the Ozzy Osbourne interview click here.

To see a clip of the Ozzy Osbourne interview click here.

You can view the Frank Zappa interview at YouTube here.

Dennis Miller's stand-up spot on this episode represents his first network television appearance, as Letterman points out after the first commercial break. Miller would begin his stint on another NBC program, Saturday Night Live, several months later in November 1985.

You can view Catherine O'Hara and Andrea Martin's short film "PMS" at YouTube here.

Allusions (3)

David Letterman: (After the Mr Wizard science demo) And as Cathy Lee Crosby would say....'Don't try this at home, kids!'
Reference to the early 80s reality show That's Incredible! which Miss Crosby co-hosted and featured death defying stunts and similar warnings.

Dave: "New technology can keep lettuce and tomato cool, burger hot."The "new technology" was a styrofoam package McDonald's used for their short-lived burger called the McDLT. One side of the styrofoam held just the beef patty and bottom bun, the other side had the top bun plus the lettuce, tomato and all condiments. But by 1990, McDonald's ran headlong with the rising number of environmentalists because all the sandwiches were kept in styrofoam. Forced to comply, McDonald's started wrapping all sandwiches, large and small, in paper. That ruined the principle of the McDLT, and it was replaced by the equally-unsuccessful McLean Deluxe in 1991. --Contributed by Sporadically

Dave: On Nickelodeon, it's another episode of that popular Western, The Chronic-Fatigue Cowboy.Actually, Nickelodeon did have a Western show of sorts, called Hey, Dude!